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Palliative cancer care - nausea & vomiting - Management
What should I do if a first-line anti-emetic has not worked?
- If a single first-line anti-emetic does not relieve nausea and vomiting:
- Confirm that the cause of nausea and vomiting has been correctly identified.
- Optimize the dose and route of the first-line anti-emetic.
- If nausea and vomiting persist after two or three doses of optimal first-line anti-emetic:
- Change to an anti-emetic with a different action, or
- Combine anti-emetics with complementary action.
- Refer to a specialist palliative care team if symptoms remain uncontrolled after 24 hours.
In depth
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